Mike and Kathleen are disappointed by the most recent Next Generation Science Standards and by Alabama’s decision to withdraw from the Common Core testing consortia…But if Amber’s discussion of a study on charter performance didn’t cheer them up, news of her recent engagement did!

In a surprise twist, Dara Zeehandelaar hosts Fordham president Checker Finn on this week’s Gadfly Show. They discuss Tom Harkin’s retirement, wheelchair basketball, and the flap over the MAP. Amber intervenes with a word on late interventions.

Mike and Dara discuss bringing MOOCs to K–12 education, tiptoeing up to the fiscal cliff, and angry unions in Michigan. Amber considers all the angles of the newly released international achievement scores.

Checker and Education Sector’s John Chubb discuss expanding the school day, dismal graduation rates, and Louisiana confusion. Amber depresses us with a report on record-high unemployment among young people.

About the Education Gadfly Show

For more than eight years, the Fordham Institute has been hosting a weekly podcast, The Education Gadfly Show. Each week, you’ll get three lively, entertaining discussions of recent education news, usually featuring Fordham’s Mike Petrilli, with questions read by Ellen Alpaugh. Then the wise Amber Northernwill recap a recent research study.

Download the podcast using the link to the left or subscribe via iTunes.